As we come to a time when we prepare our hearts for the Lord’s Table, we are always reminded of the fact that Scripture says to examine ourselves. And that examination has to start at a very foundational point and that is at the very point of whether or not we know the Lord Jesus Christ. At the end of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians called 2 Corinthians, he says, “Test yourselves, to see if you are in the faith - ” examine yourselves “ - Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you, unless indeed you fail the test?”Certainly self-examination when you come to the Lord’s Table starts with an examination of your spiritual condition before God. Do you really know Jesus Christ? Have you really put your trust and faith in Him? That’s the starting point. And we cannot be under any illusion about the fact that because someone is in a church, or even attends frequently, or even regularly that they therefore are Christians. We must rather assume that in a congregation like this there are perhaps many who have not put their trust in Jesus Christ. For them, this Table is really to partake of judgment should they participate. Paul says if you don’t examine yourself, you might bring judgment upon yourself by partaking. To celebrate the death of Christ in the taking of the bread and the cup, one would need to know Christ, to have come to Him for salvation, and then to have confessed all known sin, and ask for cleansing and purity of heart so that there is nothing between you and Christ. But all of that begins at the point of salvation. And I continue to be made aware of the fact through the years as ministry goes on and on how many people come to church - even this church - and don’t come to Christ for weeks, and months, and sometimes even years.So I thought that this morning I was going to do what the Spirit of God, I’m sure, compelled me to do this week as I was studying through the gospel of John in great detail. And that is to address the matter of actually believing in the Lord Jesus Christ unto salvation. ...